“The company we’re hosting is in aerospace,” Aaron told her. “They manufacture airplane parts. That means lots of engineers.” He sighed. “I don’t know. Do you think I could find true love with an engineer?”
“Maybe.”
“At this point, I’d settle for a night. Anyway, we’re doing the usual format. They have their boring little meetings in the morning, then we do the group activities in the afternoon. This time there are a lot of team-building activities. Bor-ring. But we’ll be up in the trees later.”
Up in the…“As in climbing trees?”
“Uh-huh. Using ropes. And walking a rope bridge between trees. Very flashy. It can be a problem for people who have a thing with heights.”
“Or are blind,” she mumbled.
“You’re late,” Aaron said.
“Take it out of my paycheck,” Nick said, pulling out a chair next to Izzy and sitting down. “What did I miss?”
She’d been so caught up in the thought of dangling from a rope bridge, fifty feet in the air, that she hadn’t sensed or heard his approach.
As he leaned forward, his arm brushed hers, making her hyperaware of him. She could feel the heat from his body, inhale the scent of him. Her skin got all prickly and she felt her toes curl inside her boots.
“We’re talking about the upcoming retreat,” Aaron said. “Nick, your attitude isn’t helping. You never take these events seriously.”
“You can handle it. You’re way better at this than me.”
“Oh, please.” There was a pause, then Aaron said, “I’m rolling my eyes, Izzy. Just so you know.”
She grinned. “Thanks for the update. Does Nick look appropriately chastised?”
“Not really.”
She nudged Nick’s arm. “Don’t mess with him. We all know he’s the one who’s really in charge.”
“So he keeps telling me.”
“Isn’t it true?”
“Maybe.”
Aaron cleared his throat. “If I could have the class’s attention,” he muttered. “Honestly. This is serious. In three days we have thirty businesspeople showing up for a weekend retreat. They’re going to expect us to act professionally. Now, for the details. The menus have been approved. I have to say I love Texans. I never get a string of impossible dietary demands here like I did in New York. No lactose-intolerant vegans who can only eat based on the cycle of the moon. Anyway, we have our usual catering and housekeeping staff ready. The rooms are clean in the guest cottages.”
Izzy turned to Nick. “Did I know about cottages?”
“Not a clue.”
“You have cottages?”
“Six cottages,” Aaron told her. “And a building with another dozen rooms. That has the main dining room, along with the meeting space.”
“That’s a lot of real estate,” she said.
“It’s a big ranch.”
“But you only do retreats every few weeks. What happens the rest of the time? Does everything just stand empty?”
“Except when we have a few kids through,” Aaron said. “We have some scheduled in a couple of weeks.”
She’d heard about the kids. They’d been abused or injured in some way and came here for a few days of healing. The horses were a main part of their therapy.
“What about the other days?” she asked. “You have facilities and beds. Why not do something with that? Get a manager in for a B and B. If you already own the buildings and the land, the marginal expense would be minimal. If nothing else, keep the rooms in use. Studies show an empty house actually breaks down faster than one used. You’d be protecting your investment while bringing in income.”
There was silence. She glanced between the two men but couldn’t see enough to know what they were thinking.
“What?” she asked.
“I guess you really are a Titan,” Nick said slowly.
“Like I was lying about my last name?” What did that have to do with anything?
“He means you have business sense in your blood,” Aaron told her. “You rattled all that off without thinking about it. Do you have a degree in business or something?”
“No. I’ve never been to college. It’s not a big deal. Everyone knows this kind of stuff. It’s common sense.”
“Not as common as you’d think,” Aaron told her. “Interesting.”
But Nick was quiet and Izzy wished she knew what he was thinking.
“Okay, enough about what Nick should do with the ranch,” Aaron said. “Everyone focus on me. Nick, you’ve worked out what you’ll be doing for the team-building?”